Renovations and retrofits are a huge part of the construction industry in the United States. Some surveys have suggested that renovations account for at least 50 percent of construction billing in America. Renovations offer a whole slew of challenges for contractors that new builds just don’t. A contractor might be presented with decades-old blueprints for a renovation. There are going to be rooms and other structures that aren’t on the blueprint. The utility set-ups might be totally different than what are shown on the blueprints. A 3d Building Scan before the project starts is the best way to resolve these issues.
These surveys are also known as “as-built services,” in the construction industry. In 21st-century renovations, using the newest technology to get a better understanding of what the building looks like “as-built” versus what is on file is crucial. The problem with renovations is that when someone buys a property, often the only record of that property is the blueprints. In some cases, those blueprints might be decades or even centuries old. In nearly every case, the blueprints on file with the city or state will be inaccurate in some way of Scan to Bim Services.
This is where an existing conditions survey comes in handy. A contractor will often hire an outside agency that specializes in these kinds of scans. That company will scan the property using cutting-edge technologies like 3D laser scanners and high-definition 360-degree cameras. The data on the existing conditions of a building is then turned into a 3D model. That model can be compared to the existing blueprints, or increasingly, totally supersedes the blueprints. From that point, designers and architects will have an overview of what is really going on in the building. They will be able to draw up incredibly accurate plans that account for the building as it is actually built.
There are two main reasons why 3D modeling is well on its way to replacing paper blueprints. The first reason is efficiency. Using the latest advancements available in technology allows for any construction site to save time and money. Running into unforeseen issues on a construction site can shut a project down for days. Having to pay for additional help to fix those issues will drive investors crazy. A simple way to keep a renovation project on schedule and in the black is to get an existing conditions survey of the building that is due to be renovated.
The second reason is that instead of a blueprint gathering dust in a drawer, the 3D models that these scans produce are living documents. The initial data collected is just the beginning. At any point during the project, anyone with the authority can update the model to account for changes. Even after construction is over, the people who run the renovated building can add to the model, keeping an as-built record of the building.
